d”sb Happy Purim! Weekly Publication for every Jewish Person LL''CChhaaiimm March 18, 2011 – 12 Adar II, 5771 1013: TZAV This month’s L’CHAIM has been generously sponsored by: Living with the REBBE REBBE In this week's Torah portion, Tzav, we read, "A perpetual fire shall always be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out." The fire on the altar of the Holy Temple burned continually. It was never extinguished, as explained in the Jerusalem Talmud: "Perpetual-even on Shabbat; perpetual-even when the Jews were in a state of ritual impurity." W hat’ ’ss the J Jooke? transformation and levity. Every aspect of the physical Temple and its service has a counterpart in the spiritual Holy Temple that One of the themes of Purim is Why didn't Esther receive "turning things upside down." When exists in the heart of every Jew. Accordingly, the verse Mordechai's e‐mail, warning her reading the Megila of Esther, it "A perpetual fire shall always be burning upon the altar; ab out Haman's plan to kill the Jews? becomes obvious that every scheme, it shall never go out" applies in both the spiritual as She had an Achash‐virus. every way it looks like the story is well as the literal sense. How do you prevent your bagels going to go, gets turned upside down: The "altar" of the Jew's inner Sanctuary is his heart. from being stolen? Put lox on them. Haman plotted to hang Mordechai, And just as there were two altars in the Temple in OK, you can stop groaning. We're Haman gets hanged. (That's just one Jerusalem, an inner and an outer one, so too is there an just getting into the spirit of Purim ‐ example. Read the story ‐ the "whole inner and an outer aspect to the Jew's heart. a ti me for j esti ng, rejoicin g, feasting, megila" ‐ to find out others.) The "perpetual fire" mentioned in the verse was lit on joking ‐ and yes, even some puns. Why is that a theme? Among other the outer altar of the Holy Temple. This fire, in spiritual But let's ask ourselves why. Why reasons, to teach us that what seems terms, refers to a Jew's enthusiasm and ardor for serving is Purim the holiday of being merry? G-d, his excitement when performing mitzvot and the to be the case often isn't; it seemed (Do you know the old Purim song ‐ the Jews were in big trouble ‐ and on joy with which he does them. This fire must be open "Oh, today we'll merry, merry be, one level, we were. But on another, and apparent and burn "perpetually," at all times. The and nosh some hamantashen"?) higher level ‐ eve rythi n g was the Jewish heart must always be consumed with a fiery love After all, how is it different than any opposite. for G-dliness and holiness. other Jewish holiday? And that's also why Purim is a On Shabbat we are commanded to refrain from There are, of course, many deep holiday of merriment and joking. For working. It is forbidden to engage in any labor or spiritual meanings. For example, laughter, jesting ‐ these also involve ourselves in business affairs. Nonetheless, the perhaps you've heard of the transform, "turn things upside down," fire on the altar of the Holy Temple continued to burn - Rabbinic dictum that one is to defy reason. "even on Shabbat." No matter how elevated a Jew feels rejoice on Purim until one does not So while there should be joy at on the Sabbath, no matter how intensely he experiences know ("ad d'lo yada," in Hebrew) every celebration, every Jewish the holiness of the day, he must never assume that it is the difference between "Blessed is holiday ‐ indeed, we should be joyous unnecessary to serve G-d with a fiery enthusiasm. His Mordechai" and "Cursed is Haman." at all times, for "joy breaks all passion and fervor must not be permitted to die out, One reason offered points out that barriers" and joy generates the regardless of his level of spirituality. numerically (according to the energy to act, with strength, The same principle applies to the opposite, if, G-d "gematria" of assigning a numerical involvement and dedication ‐ on forbid, a Jew should feel himself estranged from G-d value to each Hebrew letter) these Purim joy goes beyond itself. (Hence and His commandments, like the person in a state of phrases in Hebrew both equal 502. the Rabbinic saying, when Adar ‐ the spiritual uncleanliness who was prohibited from This means that on Purim, we month of Purim ‐ begins, joy entering the Holy Temple. A Jew must never fall into have to recognize that our increases. despair. He must never be discouraged by his low Jewishness transcends our So the jesting and joking and spiritual standing and surrender the "perpetual fire" in perceptions, it transcends our merriment and laughter on Purim has his heart. As we saw in the Holy Temple, even spiritual reason. If we act Jewish because the same purpose as laughter at all uncleanliness is incapable of extinguishing its flames. Mordechai is blessed and Haman times ‐ to take us out of ourselves, to "Perpetual - even in a state of ritual impurity." A Jew cursed, then living like a Jew turn things upside down, to reach a who finds himself in a compromising spiritual condition depends on our calculations. But if stage of connection to G‐d that must take special care to guard his Jewish spark, we can't tell the difference, but we transcends all aspects of our fanning its glowing embers till it erupts in a roaring do "the Jewish thing" regardless of existence, except the very joy of being conflagration that consumes his entire being. As the what makes sense, then that self‐ Jewish, which is the very essence. Magid of Mezeritch explained, doing so will ensure that sacrifice can be the highest So this Purim ‐ celebrate! Enjoy! Go "it shall not go out." The negative forces in his life will expression of our Jewishness. beyond yourself and turn things disappear automatically, extinguished by the holy From this we can also understand upside down! And tell a few jokes. flames and nullified into nothingness. two other Purim concepts: Adapted from Likutei Sichot, Volume 1 L'Chaim Weekly 1013: TZAV March 18, 2011 – 12 Adar II, 5771 1 L’Chaim contains words from sacred literature. Please do not deface or discard. d”sb Mezuzah The Art of Mezuzah – The Pen A Word From The pen used for mezuzahs or tefillin is generally a quill from a The Director Did You kosher bird, a goose or a turkey. The point is carefully cut so that by This Sunday we celebrate Purim, turning the pen and varying the pressure, the scribe can write thick as Know??? commemorating the time when the Jews well as very thin lines with one stroke. were delivered from Haman's terrible decree. Once Haman's plot to destroy T he Rebbe Writes the Jews became known, Mordechai sent Free translation a messenger to Queen Esther, asking her to go to the King on behalf of her In proximity to Purim, 5736 (1976) people. To Jewish Students, G-d bless you all Esther hesitated; anyone who Greeting and Blessing: approached the king without being At this time, in proximity of Purim, you have surely given much thought to the story summoned and did not meet with his favor forfeited his life. When Esther of Purim, as related in the Megillah (the Book of Esther). This is just a reminder about relayed this message to Mordechai, the the special significance of this festival for Jewish children and youths in all parts of Megila tells us he responded: the world. "Think not of yourself.... For if you The Megillah relates how the wicked Haman rose to power and planned to destroy hold your peace at this time, then the all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, that lived in all the lands of King deliverance will come to the Jews from Ahasuerus. It also tells how things turned out eventually, with Haman being hanged another place.... And who knows whether you came to the kingdom for on the gallows he had prepared for Mordechai, the decree abolished, the complete just such a time as this." change of the situation from one extreme to the other, which made these days into Esther understood Mordechai's days of joy and festivity. message. As a tzadik and the leader of Our Sages of blessed memory relate the details of how it happened: the Jewish people of that generation, Mordechai and Esther, who knew what was happening, called upon all the Jews to Mordechai knew, through Divine fast and pray and return to G-d, to His Torah and His Mitzvos (commandments). And inspiration, that the Jewish people would be delivered. Their deliverance was after Mordechai gathered thousands upon thousands of Jewish children and taught them Torah, and inspired their hearts with love of G-d and love of the Torah to the certain; it would come from somewhere. The only question was who would help point of Mesiras Nefesh (supreme self-sacrifice) - then G-d annulled the decree and made Esther's efforts successful, so that "For the Jews there was light, joy, gladness, actualize this Divinely inspired promise? Esther capitulated and asked and honor." Mordechai to tell the Jews to fast and Thus, the Miracle of Purim mainly came about through the merit of the Jewish pray for three days so she should be children and youths! successful in her mission of finding One of the reasons why the Torah tells us these details is to let everybody know, favor in the king's eyes and finally saving and everywhere and at all times (for the Torah is eternal), how great is the power of the Jewish people.